McCormick Culinary Imitation Banana Extract, 16 fl oz - One 16 Fluid Ounce Bottle of Banana Flavoring Extract, Perfect for Baking, Keto, Beverages and More

I have to eat low carb for health reasons. I workout twice a day but am still very overweight so loading up on carbs is not an option. I practice a cyclical low carb diet with 5 days on, two days off but that doesn't mean I go eat a gallon of ice cream on my off days. One thing I miss and crave is the Sonic Banana milkshake. So with this extract, I make a more "grown up" morning smoothie consisting of unsweetened vanilla almond milk, green tea matcha powder, vanilla extract, banana extract, a scoop of low carb vanilla meal replacement powder like Orgain, Purely Inspired, or even Slim Fast Diabetic, and a small splash of a sugar free vanilla creamer, and ice in a powerful blender like NutribulletRX. You can even add a little bit of monk fruit or stevia extract for a touch more sweetness before blending. Anyway, I love it. It tastes more like an indulgent dessert than an ordinary breakfast smoothie and is one of my favorite post workout meals on hot days. I read both negative and positive reviews before buying. Some said the flavor was watered down and you had to use a lot. Others said the flavor was off, and artificial. To me, the flavor is good and I am using a teaspoon for a 12 to 16 oz smoothie. I don't measure how much ice I add so my smoothie size varies. I just know that I have made at least five or six smoothies with the banana extract and it still looks practically full.

I originally tried to order natural banana extract but it sold out while it was in my cart. So, I went with imitation. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I use real bananas in many things from pancakes to cookies and this is going to enhance the banana flavor in the best way. As soon as I opened the seal, the smell of banana shot into my nose. It’s not subtle like natural extract. It smell just like banana runts (those miniature fruit shaped candies I used to get from candy dispensers at the store). I used it in my banana pancakes, and I think they the high heat made the flavor evaporate a bit. However, when I used it for my toddler’s date balls that require no baking, and when I used it for a smoothie, it tasted great. Ultimately, it think that if you’re going to heat it, it’s best to use it as a flavor enhancer to things that already have banana. As for the things that don’t need heating, it works much better than the natural stuff.

After researching this the imitation brand makes more sense and tastes just as good

Maybe I just can't get the amount to use correct - but I either don't taste it at all or it has a fake "plastic-y" kind of banana flavor. Not candy banana flavor - just not quite right. More chemically. I'm glad I have it to use in a pinch but it's not as good as I'd hoped. But again. Maybe it's just me not using the correct amount. It IS good - just not as good as I was hoping it would be. Taste is subjective though. Maybe you'll like it more than I did. Definitely a solid 4 stars from me though even considering it wasn't my favorite.

Me encantó gracias

Yes I know it may be concerning since it smells like nail polish remover. But don’t worry! As long as you are baking on high heat like muffins, bread, maybe even pancakes. It will taste the same as any other extract. The reason for it is because when you bake with any other alcohol the smell and some of the taste dissolves with the high heat. But if you are doing things on low heat like jellos, pudding and etc. You shouldn’t use it. Since it will not dissolve. Trust me I had the same concern when I bought it but when I baked some muffins it smelled and tasted the same as any other extract. Highly recommend to buy or make your own because this will save you money by like $20

First of all the smell is very strong like alcohol. But then after baking the smell vaporized. Also the taste is a bit after flavoring so it does not hit right away. Item does come exactly shown on the listing and picture. Even the seal was super tight and color is spot on. I personally feel like the extract has that strong sense of smell of banana and thats pretty much it. I would consider getting the actual extract which will cost a bit more. Also the ability to bake with this limitation was ok.

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